JP2021123086A - Liquid jet device, and maintenance method for liquid jet device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a liquid jet device, and a maintenance method for the liquid jet device that can reduce the time increasing when wiping a nozzle surface multiple times.SOLUTION: A liquid jet device includes: a liquid jet part 20 capable of jetting a liquid from nozzles 36 arranged on a nozzle surface; a wiping mechanism 43 capable of executing a wiping operation for wiping the nozzle surface, by relatively moving a strip member 60 capable of absorbing the liquid jetted by the liquid jet part 20, with respect to the nozzle surface, in a state of contacting the nozzle surface; and a control part for carrying out a pre-wiping operation of making the strip member relatively move with respect to the nozzle surface at a higher speed than during the relative movement at the time of the wiping operation, in a state that the strip member 60 is in non-contact with the nozzle surface and capable of contacting the liquid adhering to the nozzle surface, before the wiping operation for wiping the nozzle surface with the strip member 60.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to a liquid injection device such as a printer and a maintenance method for the liquid injection device.

For example, as in Patent Document 1, there is a printer which is an example of a liquid injection device which ejects a liquid from a liquid ejection head which is an example of a liquid injection unit and prints. The printer includes a wiping mechanism that is an example of a wiping mechanism that wipes the nozzle surface of the liquid discharge head, and wipes the nozzle surface with a web that is an example of a strip-shaped member.

JP-A-2018-154123

The wiping mechanism removes dirt adhering to the nozzle surface by wiping the nozzle surface with a web a plurality of times. However, as the nozzle surface is wiped repeatedly, the time required for wiping becomes longer.

In the liquid injection device for solving the above problems, a liquid injection unit capable of injecting liquid from a nozzle arranged on the nozzle surface and a band-shaped member capable of absorbing the liquid injected by the liquid injection unit are brought into contact with the nozzle surface. A wiping mechanism capable of performing a wiping operation of wiping the nozzle surface by moving relative to the nozzle surface in the state of being in the state, and the band-shaped member before the wiping operation of wiping the nozzle surface with the band-shaped member. The pre-wiping operation of moving the nozzle surface relative to the nozzle surface at a speed faster than the relative movement during the wiping operation in a state where the liquid is in contact with the liquid adhering to the nozzle surface without contacting the nozzle surface. It is provided with a control unit for performing the operation.

A maintenance method for a liquid injection device that solves the above problems is to form a liquid injection unit capable of injecting liquid from a nozzle arranged on the nozzle surface and a strip-shaped member capable of absorbing the liquid injected by the liquid injection unit on the nozzle surface. It is a maintenance method of a liquid injection device including a wiping mechanism capable of performing a wiping operation of wiping the nozzle surface by moving the nozzle surface relative to the nozzle surface in a state of being in contact with the above. Prior to the wiping operation of wiping the nozzle surface, the strip-shaped member is in a state of being non-contact with the nozzle surface and in contact with the liquid adhering to the nozzle surface, at a speed faster than the relative movement during the wiping operation. , Perform a pre-wiping operation for relative movement with respect to the nozzle surface.

The perspective view of one Embodiment of the liquid injection apparatus. Schematic bottom view of the liquid injection section and the carriage. Schematic plan view of the maintenance unit. Schematic side view of the wiping main body located in the standby position. Schematic side view of the wiping mechanism in which the wiping main body is located in the standby position. Schematic diagram of the power transmission mechanism in a state where the wiping main body is located in the standby position. The schematic diagram of the power transmission mechanism in the state where the wiping main body part moves in the first wiping direction. Schematic diagram of the power transmission mechanism in a state where the wiping main body is located at the receiving position. The schematic diagram of the power transmission mechanism in the state where the wiping main body part moves in the 2nd wiping direction.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the liquid injection device and the maintenance method of the liquid injection device will be described with reference to the drawings. The liquid injection device is, for example, an inkjet printer that injects and prints ink, which is an example of a liquid, onto a medium such as paper.

In the drawing, the direction of gravity is shown by the Z axis, and the direction along the horizontal plane is shown by the X axis and the Y axis, assuming that the liquid injection device 11 is placed on the horizontal plane. The X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are orthogonal to each other. In the following description, the direction along the X axis is also referred to as the width direction X, the direction along the Y axis is also referred to as the depth direction Y, and the direction along the Z axis is also referred to as the gravity direction Z.

As shown in FIG. 1, the liquid injection device 11 may include a pair of legs 12 and a housing 13 assembled on the legs 12. The liquid injection device 11 winds up and collects the medium 14 which is wound and unwound from the roll-shaped medium 14, the guide portion 16 which guides the medium 14 discharged from the housing 13, and the medium 14. A unit 17 may be provided. The liquid injection device 11 may include a tension applying mechanism 18 that applies tension to the medium 14 collected by the collecting unit 17.

The liquid injection device 11 includes a liquid injection unit 20 capable of injecting liquid, a carriage 21 for moving the liquid injection unit 20, and a maintenance unit 22 for maintaining the liquid injection unit 20. The liquid injection device 11 may include a liquid supply device 23 that supplies a liquid to the liquid injection unit 20, and an operation panel 24 that is operated by the user. The carriage 21 reciprocates the liquid injection unit 20 along the X axis. The liquid injection unit 20 jets the liquid supplied through the liquid supply device 23 while moving, and prints on the medium 14.

The liquid supply device 23 has a mounting unit 26 to which a plurality of liquid storage bodies 25 for storing liquids are detachably mounted, and a supply flow for supplying liquid from the liquid storage body 25 to be mounted on the mounting unit 26 to the liquid injection unit 20. The road 27 and the like are provided.

The liquid injection device 11 includes a control unit 29 that controls the operation of the liquid injection device 11. The control unit 29 includes, for example, a CPU, a memory, and the like. The control unit 29 controls the liquid injection unit 20, the liquid supply device 23, the maintenance unit 22, and the like by executing the program stored in the memory by the CPU.

As shown in FIG. 2, the liquid injection device 11 may include a guide shaft 31 that supports the carriage 21 and a carriage motor 32 that moves the carriage 21. The guide shaft 31 extends in the width direction X. The control unit 29 reciprocates the carriage 21 and the liquid injection unit 20 along the guide shaft 31 by controlling the drive of the carriage motor 32.

The liquid injection device 11 may include a wind regulating portion 34 held under the carriage 21. If the air conditioning unit 34 is provided on both sides of the liquid injection unit 20 in the width direction X, the airflow around the liquid injection unit 20 that reciprocates along the X axis can be easily adjusted.

The liquid injection unit 20 may include a nozzle forming member 37 on which a plurality of nozzles 36 are formed, and a cover member 38 that covers a part of the nozzle forming member 37. The cover member 38 is made of a metal such as stainless steel. The cover member 38 is formed with a plurality of through holes 39 that penetrate the cover member 38 in the direction of gravity Z. The cover member 38 covers the side of the nozzle forming member 37 where the nozzle 36 is formed so that the nozzle 36 is exposed from the through hole 39. The nozzle surface 40 is formed including a nozzle forming member 37 and a cover member 38. Specifically, the nozzle surface 40 is composed of a nozzle forming member 37 exposed from the through hole 39 and a cover member 38. The liquid injection unit 20 can inject liquid from the nozzle 36 arranged on the nozzle surface 40.

In the liquid injection unit 20, a large number of openings of nozzles 36 for injecting liquid are arranged in one direction at regular intervals. The plurality of nozzles 36 form a nozzle row. In the present embodiment, the openings of the nozzles 36 are arranged in the depth direction Y to form the first nozzle row L1 to the twelfth nozzle row L12. The nozzles 36 that form one nozzle row eject the same type of liquid. Of the nozzles 36 constituting one nozzle row, the nozzle 36 located at the back in the depth direction Y and the nozzle 36 located at the front in the depth direction Y are formed so as to be displaced in the width direction X.

The first nozzle row L1 to the twelfth nozzle row L12 are arranged in two rows close to each other in the width direction X. In the present embodiment, two nozzle rows arranged close to each other are referred to as a nozzle group. In the liquid injection unit 20, the first nozzle group G1 to the sixth nozzle group G6 are arranged at regular intervals in the width direction X.

Specifically, the first nozzle group G1 includes a first nozzle row L1 for ejecting magenta ink and a second nozzle row L2 for ejecting yellow ink. The second nozzle group G2 includes a third nozzle row L3 for injecting cyan ink and a fourth nozzle row L4 for injecting black ink. The third nozzle group G3 includes a fifth nozzle row L5 for ejecting light cyan ink and a sixth nozzle row L6 for ejecting light magenta ink. The fourth nozzle group G4 includes a seventh nozzle row L7 and an eighth nozzle row L8 for injecting a treatment liquid. The fifth nozzle group G5 includes a ninth nozzle row L9 for injecting black ink and a tenth nozzle row L10 for injecting cyan ink. The sixth nozzle group G6 includes an eleventh nozzle row L11 for injecting yellow ink and a twelfth nozzle row L12 for injecting magenta ink.

Next, the maintenance unit 22 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 3, the maintenance unit 22 includes a flushing device 42, a wiping mechanism 43, a suction device 44, and a capping device 45 arranged in the width direction X. Above the capping device 45 is the home position HP of the liquid injection unit 20. The home position HP is the starting point for the movement of the liquid injection unit 20. The upper part of the wiping mechanism 43 is the cleaning position CP of the liquid injection unit 20. In FIG. 3, the liquid injection portion 20 located at the cleaning position CP is shown by a chain double-dashed line.

The flushing device 42 receives the liquid injected from the liquid injection unit 20 by flushing. Flushing is maintenance in which a liquid is sprayed as waste liquid for the purpose of preventing and eliminating clogging of the nozzle 36.

The flushing device 42 includes a liquid receiving unit 47 that receives the liquid ejected by the liquid injection unit 20 for flushing, a lid member 48 for covering the opening of the liquid receiving unit 47, and a lid motor for moving the lid member 48. 49 and. The flushing device 42 may include a plurality of liquid receiving portions 47 and a plurality of lid members 48. The control unit 29 may select the liquid receiving unit 47 depending on the type of liquid. The flushing device 42 of the present embodiment includes two liquid receiving units 47, one of which receives a plurality of color inks ejected by flushing from the liquid ejecting unit 20, and the other liquid receiving unit 47. Receives the treatment liquid injected by flushing from the liquid injection unit 20. The liquid receiving unit 47 may contain a moisturizing liquid.

The lid member 48 is driven by the lid motor 49 to move between a coating position (not shown) that covers the opening of the liquid receiving portion 47 and an exposed position shown in FIG. 3 that exposes the opening of the liquid receiving portion 47. When flushing is not performed, the lid member 48 moves to the coating position to suppress the drying of the moisturizing liquid to be contained and the received liquid.

The suction device 44 depressurizes the inside of the suction cap 51, the suction holding body 52 that holds the suction cap 51, the suction motor 53 that reciprocates the suction holding body 52 along the Z axis, and the suction cap 51. A decompression mechanism 54 is provided. As the suction holding body 52 is moved by the suction motor 53, the suction cap 51 moves between the contact position and the retracted position. The contact position is a position where the suction cap 51 comes into contact with the liquid injection unit 20 and surrounds the nozzle 36. The retracted position is a position where the suction cap 51 is separated from the liquid injection unit 20.

The suction cap 51 may be configured to surround all the nozzles 36 together, may be configured to surround at least one nozzle group, or may be configured to surround a part of the nozzles 36 constituting the nozzle group. May be good. The suction device 44 of the present embodiment surrounds one nozzle group of the first nozzle group G1 to the sixth nozzle group G6 by two suction caps 51.

The liquid injection device 11 positions the liquid injection unit 20 above the suction device 44, positions the suction cap 51 at the contact position to surround one nozzle group, depressurizes the inside of the suction cap 51, and liquids from the nozzle 36. Suction cleaning may be performed to discharge the liquid. That is, the suction device 44 may receive the liquid discharged by suction cleaning.

The capping device 45 includes a leaving cap 56, a leaving holding body 57 for holding the leaving cap 56, and a leaving motor 58 for reciprocating the leaving holding body 57 along the Z axis. As the leaving holding body 57 is moved by the leaving motor 58, the leaving cap 56 moves upward or downward. The neglected cap 56 moves from the separation position, which is the lower position, to the capping position, which is the upper position, and comes into contact with the liquid injection portion 20 stopped at the home position HP.

The neglected cap 56 located at the capping position surrounds the openings of the nozzles 36 constituting the first nozzle group G1 to the sixth nozzle group G6. The maintenance in which the neglected cap 56 surrounds the opening of the nozzle 36 in this way is called neglected capping. Abandoned capping is a type of capping. Drying of the nozzle 36 is suppressed by the neglected capping.

The neglected cap 56 may be configured to surround all the nozzles 36 together, may be configured to surround at least one nozzle group, or may be configured to surround a part of the nozzles 36 constituting the nozzle group. May be good.

Next, the wiping mechanism 43 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 3, the wiping mechanism 43 includes a wiping main body 59 and a track portion 70 that movably supports the wiping main body 59. The wiping main body 59 includes a band-shaped member 60 capable of absorbing the liquid jetted by the liquid injection unit 20, a case 61 accommodating the band-shaped member 60, a power transmission mechanism 62 provided in the case 61, and a wiping motor 63. May be provided. The wiping main body 59 moves on the track 70 between the standby position WP shown in FIG. 4 and the receiving position RP shown in FIG.

The wiping main body 59 located at the standby position WP moves in the first wiping direction W1 parallel to the Y axis and heads toward the receiving position RP by reversely driving the wiping motor 63. The wiping main body 59 located at the receiving position RP moves in the second wiping direction W2 opposite to the first wiping direction W1 by the forward rotation drive of the wiping motor 63, and heads for the standby position WP. The control unit 29 controls the movement of the wiping main body 59 between the standby position WP and the receiving position RP by controlling the drive of the wiping motor 63. The control unit 29 may control the moving speed of the wiping main body 59 by controlling the rotation speed of the wiping motor 63.

The strip-shaped member 60 has a contact region 60a that can come into contact with the nozzle surface 40 and a receiving region 60b that can receive the liquid discharged from the nozzle 36. The case 61 has an opening 61a that exposes the contact area 60a and the receiving area 60b. The size of the strip-shaped member 60 in the width direction X may be larger than the size of the nozzle surface 40. In this case, the liquid injection unit 20 can be efficiently maintained.

The wiping mechanism 43 can execute a wiping operation of wiping the nozzle surface 40 by relatively moving the contact region 60a of the strip-shaped member 60 with respect to the nozzle surface 40 in a state of being in contact with the nozzle surface 40. The wiping mechanism 43 performs a wiping operation in the process of moving the wiping main body 59 between the standby position WP and the receiving position RP.

The receiving region 60b faces the nozzle surface 40 when the wiping main body 59 is located at the receiving position RP and the liquid injection portion 20 is located at the cleaning position CP. In this state, the liquid injection device 11 may perform pressure cleaning and discharge cleaning to discharge the pressurized liquid from the nozzle 36. The discharge cleaning is a maintenance in which the liquid is discharged from the nozzle 36 in order to empty the inside of the liquid injection unit 20 and the flow path for supplying the liquid to the liquid injection unit 20. The amount of liquid adhering to the nozzle surface 40 by discharge cleaning tends to be larger than the amount of liquid adhering to the nozzle surface 40 by pressure cleaning. The receiving region 60b of the present embodiment receives the liquid discharged by the pressure cleaning and the discharge cleaning.

As shown in FIG. 4, the wiping main body 59 is a downstream roller that forms a receiving region 60b between the unwinding portion 64 having the unwinding shaft 64a, the pressing roller 65 that pushes the contact region 60a, and the pressing roller 65. 66 and a take-up portion 67 having a take-up shaft 67a are provided. The case 61 rotatably supports the unwinding shaft 64a, the pressing roller 65, the downstream roller 66, and the winding shaft 67a with the X axis as the axial direction.

The unwinding portion 64 and the winding portion 67 hold the strip-shaped member 60 in a rolled state. The take-up shaft 67a of the present embodiment is rotated by driving the wiping motor 63. The band-shaped member 60 unwound and unwound from the unwinding portion 64 is conveyed to the winding portion 67 along the conveying path. The winding unit 67 winds the strip-shaped member 60 on the winding shaft 67a in a roll shape. By winding the strip-shaped member 60, the winding portion 67 moves the portion of the strip-shaped member 60 unwound from the unwinding portion 64 in the moving direction D. The moving direction D is a direction along the transport path of the strip-shaped member 60, and is a direction from the upstream unwinding portion 64 to the downstream winding portion 67.

The pressing roller 65 and the downstream roller 66 are provided along the transport path of the strip-shaped member 60. The pressing roller 65 pushes the band-shaped member 60 unwound from the unwinding portion 64 from below to upward, and causes the band-shaped member 60 to protrude from the opening 61a. The downstream roller 66 is arranged downstream of the pressing roller 65 in the moving direction D and below the pressing roller 65.

Then, the band-shaped member 60 unwound from the unwinding portion 64 forms an upstream region continuous with the contact region 60a between the unwinding portion 64 and the pressing roller 65, and the pressing roller 65 and the downstream roller 66 are combined. A downstream region continuous with the contact region 60a is formed between them. In this case, when the contact region 60a comes into contact with the nozzle surface 40, the angle formed by the nozzle surface 40 and the upstream region and the angle formed by the nozzle surface 40 and the downstream region may be set to 3 degrees or more and 30 degrees or less. good.

As shown in FIG. 4, the liquid injection device 11 may include a gap changing mechanism 68 capable of changing the gap G in the Z-axis direction between the nozzle surface 40 and the contact region 60a. The gap changing mechanism 68 reciprocates the guide shaft 31 along the Z axis to move the liquid injection unit 20 and the carriage 21 to the wiping position shown by the solid line in FIG. 4 and the front wiping position shown by the alternate long and short dash line in FIG. And, it is located in.

The wiping position is that the nozzle surface 40 is located at the same position as the contact area 60a in the direction of gravity Z, or the nozzle surface 40 is located between the contact area 60a and the surface where the opening 61a of the case 61 is formed, and the gap G is zero. The position is as follows. The front wiping position is a position where the nozzle surface 40 is located above the contact area 60a, the gap G is larger than zero, and the thickness of the liquid adhering to the nozzle surface 40 is smaller than the maximum thickness. The maximum thickness of the liquid is the distance from the lower end of the liquid to the nozzle surface 40 when the maximum amount of liquid that can be held by the nozzle surface 40 is attached to the nozzle surface 40.

The control unit 29 of the present embodiment positions the liquid injection unit 20 at the front wiping position so that the strip-shaped member 60 is in a state where it is not in contact with the nozzle surface 40 and can be in contact with the liquid adhering to the nozzle surface 40. be able to. By locating the liquid injection unit 20 at the wiping position, the control unit 29 can bring the strip-shaped member 60 into contact with the nozzle surface 40.

As shown in FIG. 5, the track portion 70 may include a pair of rails 71 extending along the Y axis and a rack 72 extending along the Y axis. The track portion 70 may include a first pressing portion 73 and a first locking portion 74 provided at the standby position WP, and a second locking portion 75 and a second pressing portion 76 provided at the receiving position RP. ..

The first locking portion 74 and the first pressing portion 73 engage with the wiping main body portion 59 located at the standby position WP. The second locking portion 75 and the second pressing portion 76 engage with the wiping main body portion 59 located at the receiving position RP.

Next, the detailed structure of the power transmission mechanism 62 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 6, the power transmission mechanism 62 of the present embodiment includes a drive gear 80, a first gear 81 to a 17th gear 97, a take-up gear 98, and a unwind gear 99. The drive gear 80 is fixed to the drive shaft 80a of the wiping motor 63. The take-up gear 98 is fixed to the take-up shaft 67a. The unwinding gear 99 is fixed to the unwinding shaft 64a. The third gear 83 and the fourth gear 84 are fixed to the gear shaft 83a and rotate integrally. The 16th gear 96 and the 17th gear 97 are integrally provided. The power transmission mechanism 62 may include a load applying portion (not shown) that applies a load to the 14th gear 94.

The power transmission mechanism 62 includes a rotating member 100 that can rotate around the gear shaft 83a, and first contact portions 101 to third contact portions 103 that limit the rotation of the rotating member 100. The power transmission mechanism 62 includes a first spring 104 that pushes the second contact portion 102 in the depth direction Y, and a second spring 105 that pushes the third contact portion 103 in the direction opposite to the depth direction Y. The fifth gear 85 and the sixth gear 86 are provided on the rotating member 100.

The rotating member 100 has a first protruding portion 100a and a second protruding portion 100b that are provided with a phase shift of about 180 degrees about the gear shaft 83a. The first protruding portion 100a hits the first contact portion 101 or the second contact portion 102 due to the rotation of the rotating member 100. The second protruding portion 100b hits the first contact portion 101 or the third contact portion 103 due to the rotation of the rotating member 100.

The power transmission mechanism 62 includes a torque limiter (not shown) provided between the third gear 83 and the rotating member 100. The torque limiter rotates the rotating member 100 in the same direction as the third gear 83 when the third gear 83 rotates, whereas the torque limiter rotates with the third gear 83 when the rotation of the rotating member 100 is restricted and the load increases. Separate from the member 100.

The power transmission mechanism 62 includes a stopper 107 and a third spring 108 that pushes the stopper 107. The stopper 107 is provided so as to be movable between the winding position shown in FIG. 6 and the tooth alignment position shown in FIG. 7 by rotating around the rotation shaft 109. The third spring 108 pushes the stopper 107 toward the tooth alignment position.

The stopper 107 has an upper contact portion 110 located at an upper portion, a lower contact portion 111 located at a lower portion, and a meshing portion 112 capable of meshing with the 17th gear 97. When the stopper 107 is located at the meshing position, the meshing portion 112 meshes with the 17th gear 97 and limits the rotation of the 17th gear 97. The meshing portion 112 allows the 17th gear 97 to rotate away from the 17th gear 97 when the stopper 107 is located at the take-up position. A part of the upper contact portion 110 and the lower contact portion 111 protrudes out of the case 61 from a window (not shown) provided on the side surface of the case 61.

Next, the winding of the strip-shaped member 60 and the movement of the wiping main body 59 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 6, the control unit 29 drives the wiping motor 63 to rotate in the forward direction, and winds the strip-shaped member 60 in a state where the wiping main body 59 is positioned at the standby position WP. When the wiping main body 59 is located at the standby position WP, the stopper 107 is located at the winding position when the upper contact portion 110 is pushed by the first pressing portion 73. The rotation of the rotating member 100 is restricted because the first protruding portion 100a hits the first contact portion 101.

The power of the wiping motor 63 is the drive gear 80, the first gear 81, the second gear 82, the third gear 83, the fourth gear 84, the fifth gear 85, the seventh gear 87, the eighth gear 88, and the ninth gear. It is transmitted in the order of 89, the 10th gear 90, and the take-up gear 98, and rotates the take-up shaft 67a. When the winding shaft 67a rotates and the strip-shaped member 60 is wound around the winding shaft 67a, the unwinding shaft 64a around which the strip-shaped member 60 is wound in a roll shape rotates. Therefore, the power of the wiping motor 63 is transmitted in the order of the unwind gear 99, the 12th gear 92, the 13th gear 93, the 15th gear 95, the 16th gear 96, and the 17th gear 97 via the band-shaped member 60. ..

At this time, the fourth gear 84 meshes with the sixth gear 86, whereas the sixth gear 86 does not mesh with the rack 72. The eleventh gear 91 also meshes with the ninth gear 89. The 14th gear 94 also meshes with the 13th gear 93. Therefore, the 6th gear 86, the 11th gear 91, and the 14th gear 94 also rotate.

As shown in FIG. 7, the control unit 29 reversely drives the wiping motor 63 to move the wiping main body 59 in the first wiping direction W1. That is, the power of the wiping motor 63 is transmitted in the order of the drive gear 80, the first gear 81, the second gear 82, the third gear 83, the fourth gear 84, and the fifth gear 85. The rotating member 100 rotates clockwise in FIG. 7. The rotation of the rotating member 100 is restricted because the first protruding portion 100a hits the second contact portion 102. In this state, the fifth gear 85 meshes with the rack 72. Therefore, the power transmission mechanism 62 moves the wiping main body 59 by rotating the fifth gear 85 in a state of being meshed with the rack 72.

When the wiping main body 59 leaves the standby position WP, the stopper 107 is pushed by the third spring 108 and moves to the toothing position. In the stopper 107 located at the meshing position, the meshing portion 112 meshes with the 17th gear 97 to limit the rotation of the 17th gear 97. This limits the rotation of the unwinding shaft 64a.

As shown in FIG. 8, when the wiping main body 59 reaches the receiving position RP, the second locking portion 75 hits the second contact portion 102 and pushes the second contact portion 102. As a result, the first protruding portion 100a is disengaged from the second contact portion 102, and the rotating member 100 rotates in the clockwise direction shown in FIG. The rotation of the rotating member 100 is restricted because the second protruding portion 100b hits the first contact portion 101. The stopper 107 is located at the winding position when the lower contact portion 111 is pushed by the second pressing portion 76.

The power of the wiping motor 63 is the drive gear 80, the first gear 81, the second gear 82, the third gear 83, the fourth gear 84, the sixth gear 86, the eleventh gear 91, the ninth gear 89, and the tenth gear. It is transmitted in the order of 90 and the take-up gear 98. As the winding shaft 67a rotates, the strip-shaped member 60 is wound around the winding shaft 67a, and the winding shaft 64a rotates. Therefore, the power of the wiping motor 63 is transmitted to the unwinding gear 99 via the band-shaped member 60, and the unwinding gear 99, the 12th gear 92, the 13th gear 93, the 15th gear 95, the 16th gear 96, and the first gear 99. It is transmitted in the order of 17 gears 97.

At this time, the fourth gear 84 meshes with the fifth gear 85, while the fifth gear 85 does not mesh with the rack 72. The eighth gear 88 meshes with the ninth gear 89, and the seventh gear 87 meshes with the eighth gear 88. Therefore, the fifth gear 85, the seventh gear 87, and the eighth gear 88 also rotate.

As shown in FIG. 9, the control unit 29 drives the wiping motor 63 in the forward rotation to move the wiping main body 59 in the second wiping direction W2. That is, the power of the wiping motor 63 is transmitted in the order of the drive gear 80, the first gear 81, the second gear 82, the third gear 83, the fourth gear 84, and the sixth gear 86. The rotating member 100 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. The rotation of the rotating member 100 is restricted because the second protruding portion 100b hits the third contact portion 103. In this state, the sixth gear 86 meshes with the rack 72. Therefore, the power transmission mechanism 62 moves the wiping main body 59 by rotating the sixth gear 86 in a state of being meshed with the rack 72. When the wiping main body 59 leaves the receiving position RP, the stopper 107 is pushed by the third spring 108 and moves to the toothing position.

As shown in FIG. 6, when the wiping main body 59 reaches the standby position WP, the first locking portion 74 hits the third contact portion 103 and pushes the third contact portion 103. As a result, the second protruding portion 100b is disengaged from the third contact portion 103, and the rotating member 100 rotates in the counterclockwise direction shown in FIG. The rotation of the rotating member 100 is restricted because the first protruding portion 100a hits the first contact portion 101.

Next, the maintenance of the liquid injection device 11 performed by the control unit 29 will be described together with the operation of the present embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 29 moves the wiping main body 59 in a state where the liquid injection unit 20 is positioned at the wiping position shown by the solid line, thereby wiping the nozzle surface 40 with the band-shaped member 60. I do. The control unit 29 moves the wiping main body 59 in a state where the liquid injection unit 20 is positioned at the front wiping position indicated by the alternate long and short dash line, so that the strip-shaped member 60 is not in contact with the nozzle surface 40. Performs a pre-wiping operation to move relative to.

The control unit 29 may move the wiping main body 59 at different speeds for the wiping operation and the front wiping operation. The control unit 29 performs the front wiping operation by moving the band-shaped member 60 relative to the nozzle surface 40 at a speed faster than the relative movement during the wiping operation. By rotating the winding shaft 67a, the wiping mechanism 43 can perform a winding operation of winding the band-shaped member 60 so that the unused portion of the band-shaped member 60 can come into contact with the nozzle surface 40.

The wiping operation, the front wiping operation, and the winding operation may be performed in combination. The control unit 29 may perform a pre-wiping operation before the wiping operation. The control unit 29 of the present embodiment can execute the first wiping operation, the second wiping operation, and the third wiping operation. The first wiping operation is an operation in which the front wiping operation is performed before the wiping operation. The second wiping operation is an operation in which the wiping operation is performed without performing the pre-wiping operation. The third wiping operation is an operation in which the front wiping operation is performed, the winding operation is performed, and then the wiping operation is performed. That is, when the first wiping operation is selected, the control unit 29 performs the front wiping operation and the wiping operation in order. When the second wiping operation is selected, the control unit 29 performs only the wiping operation. When the third wiping operation is selected, the control unit 29 performs the front wiping operation, the winding operation, and the wiping operation in order.

The control unit 29 may select any one of the first wiping operation and the third wiping operation according to the amount of the liquid adhering to the nozzle surface 40. The control unit 29 may perform the second wiping operation when the amount of the liquid adhering to the nozzle surface 40 is smaller than that in the case where the first wiping operation is performed. The control unit 29 may perform the third wiping operation when the amount of the liquid adhering to the nozzle surface 40 is larger than that in the case where the first wiping operation is performed. The control unit 29 of the present embodiment performs the first wiping operation after the pressure cleaning, the second wiping operation after printing, and the third wiping operation after the discharge cleaning.

First, the first wiping operation will be described.
As shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 29 positions the wiping main body 59 at the receiving position RP and the liquid injection unit 20 at the cleaning position CP and the front wiping position to perform pressure cleaning.

When the pressure cleaning is completed, the control unit 29 performs a front wiping operation. The control unit 29 drives the wiping motor 63 in the forward rotation to move the wiping main body 59 from the receiving position RP toward the standby position WP in the second wiping direction W2. At this time, the control unit 29 moves the wiping main body 59 at a second moving speed higher than the first moving speed.

In the band-shaped member 60, the contact region 60a passes under the nozzle surface 40 while moving to the standby position WP. At this time, the contact area 60a is not in contact with the nozzle surface 40, and the contact area 60a is in contact with the liquid adhering to the nozzle surface 40. By the pre-wiping operation, the liquid adhering to the nozzle surface 40 is absorbed by the contact region 60a.

When the contact region 60a passes through the nozzle surface 40 and the front wiping operation is completed, the control unit 29 subsequently performs the wiping operation. The control unit 29 moves the liquid injection unit 20 to the wiping position. The control unit 29 moves the wiping main body 59 in the first wiping direction W1 by reversely driving the wiping motor 63. That is, after the front wiping operation, the control unit 29 performs the wiping operation by relatively moving the nozzle surface 40 and the strip-shaped member 60 in the direction opposite to the relative movement during the front wiping operation.

The drive switching of the wiping motor 63 may be performed after the wiping main body 59 is moved to the standby position WP, or may be performed while the wiping main body 59 is moving in the second wiping direction W2. .. When the wiping main body 59 is moved to the standby position WP by moving the wiping main body 59 in the first wiping direction W1 before the wiping main body 59 moving in the second wiping direction W2 reaches the standby position WP. In comparison, the time required for the first wiping operation can be shortened.

The control unit 29 performs a wiping operation by relatively moving the strip-shaped member 60 and the nozzle surface 40 in a state where the contact region 60a is in contact with the nozzle surface 40. At this time, the control unit 29 moves the wiping main body 59 at a first movement speed slower than the second movement speed. That is, in the front wiping operation performed earlier in the first wiping operation, the strip-shaped member 60 and the nozzle surface 40 move relative to each other at a speed faster than the wiping operation performed later. Therefore, the time required for the pre-wiping operation is shorter than the time required for the wiping operation.

Next, the second wiping operation will be described.
When printing is performed by injecting ink from the nozzle 36, mist may adhere to the nozzle surface 40. The amount of liquid adhering to the nozzle surface 40 by printing is smaller than the amount of liquid adhering to the nozzle surface 40 by pressure cleaning. The control unit 29 may perform the second wiping operation during or after printing.

As shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 29 positions the wiping main body 59 at the standby position WP and the liquid injection unit 20 at the cleaning position CP and the wiping position. The control unit 29 moves the wiping main body 59 in the first wiping direction W1 by reversely driving the wiping motor 63. At this time, the control unit 29 moves the wiping main body unit 59 at a first movement speed slower than the second movement speed. The control unit 29 performs a wiping operation by relatively moving the strip-shaped member 60 and the nozzle surface 40 in a state where the contact region 60a is in contact with the nozzle surface 40.

Next, the third wiping operation will be described.
As shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 29 positions the wiping main body 59 at the receiving position RP and the liquid injection unit 20 at the cleaning position CP and the front wiping position to perform discharge cleaning.

When the discharge cleaning is completed, the control unit 29 performs a winding operation during the pre-wiping operation and the wiping operation similar to the first wiping operation. Specifically, the control unit 29 drives the wiping motor 63 in the forward rotation to move the wiping main body 59 in the second wiping direction W2 to perform the front wiping operation. At this time, the control unit 29 moves the wiping main body 59 at a second moving speed higher than the first moving speed. In the third wiping operation, the control unit 29 continues the forward rotation drive of the wiping motor 63 even after the contact region 60a passes through the nozzle surface 40 and the front wiping operation is completed.

As shown in FIG. 6, when the wiping main body 59 moves to the standby position WP, the power of the wiping motor 63 is transmitted to the winding shaft 67a, and the strip-shaped member 60 is wound around the winding shaft 67a. The control unit 29 winds up the strip-shaped member 60 by continuing the forward rotation drive of the wiping motor 63 even after the wiping main body 59 has moved to the standby position WP. In the winding operation, the portion of the strip-shaped member 60 that absorbs and holds the liquid by the front wiping operation is moved in the moving direction D.

When the winding operation of the strip-shaped member 60 is completed, the control unit 29 subsequently performs a wiping operation. The control unit 29 positions the liquid injection unit 20 at the wiping position. The control unit 29 moves the wiping main body 59 in the first wiping direction W1 by reversely driving the wiping motor 63.

The effect of this embodiment will be described.
(1) The control unit 29 moves the strip-shaped member 60 and the nozzle surface 40 relative to each other, and continuously performs the front wiping operation and the wiping operation. The front wiping operation moves the strip-shaped member 60 and the nozzle surface 40 relative to each other at a speed faster than the wiping operation. The time required for the pre-wiping operation is shorter than the time required for the wiping operation. The time required when the pre-wiping operation and the wiping operation are continuously performed is shorter than the time required when the wiping operation is continuously performed. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the time that increases when the nozzle surface 40 is wiped a plurality of times.

(2) For example, when the direction in which the band-shaped member 60 and the nozzle surface 40 move relative to each other is the same in the front wiping operation and the wiping operation, the band-shaped member 60 and the nozzle surface 40 are in their original positions after performing the front wiping operation. It is necessary to perform the wiping operation after returning to. In that respect, the direction in which the band-shaped member 60 and the nozzle surface 40 move relative to each other during the front wiping operation and the direction in which the band-shaped member 60 and the nozzle surface 40 move relative to each other during the wiping operation are opposite. Therefore, the strip-shaped member 60 and the nozzle surface 40 can perform the relative movement of the wiping operation from the position where the front wiping operation is completed, and the front wiping operation and the wiping operation can be efficiently performed.

(3) When the amount of the liquid adhering to the nozzle surface 40 is small, the liquid adhering to the nozzle surface 40 may be sufficiently wiped off only by the wiping operation. In that respect, when the amount of liquid adhering to the nozzle surface 40 is small, the control unit 29 performs the wiping operation without performing the pre-wiping operation. Therefore, wiping can be efficiently performed according to the state of the nozzle surface 40.

(4) When the amount of liquid adhering to the nozzle surface 40 is large, it may not be completely wiped off by the front wiping operation and the wiping operation. In that respect, when the amount of liquid adhering to the nozzle surface 40 is large, the control unit 29 performs the front wiping operation, the winding operation, and the wiping operation in order. In the band-shaped member 60, a portion that has absorbed the liquid by the front wiping operation is wound by the winding operation. That is, by performing the wiping operation on the portion of the band-shaped member 60 different from the front wiping operation, the amount of liquid remaining on the nozzle surface 40 can be reduced even when the amount of liquid adhering to the nozzle surface 40 is large.

This embodiment can be modified and implemented as follows. The present embodiment and the following modified examples can be implemented in combination with each other within a technically consistent range.
The wiping mechanism 43 may include two pressing rollers 65 arranged in the moving direction D along the conveying path of the strip-shaped member 60, and the region between the two pressing rollers 65 may be a contact region 60a.

-The control unit 29 may select which of the first wiping operation, the second wiping operation, and the third wiping operation is performed according to the state of the liquid injection unit 20. For example, the control unit 29 may perform the first pressure cleaning with a large amount of discharge and the second pressure cleaning with a smaller amount of discharge than the first pressure cleaning. The amount of liquid adhering to the nozzle surface 40 after the first pressure cleaning is larger than the amount of liquid adhering to the nozzle surface 40 after the second pressure cleaning. Therefore, the control unit 29 may perform the third wiping operation after the first pressure cleaning and the first wiping operation after the second pressure cleaning. For example, the liquid injection device 11 includes a sensor that detects the amount of liquid adhering to the nozzle surface 40, and the control unit 29 may select a wiping operation based on the detection result of the sensor.

The control unit 29 may move the wiping main body 59 in the front wiping operation in the same direction as the wiping main body 59 in the wiping operation.
The control unit 29 may move the strip-shaped member 60 and the nozzle surface 40 relative to each other by moving the nozzle surface 40. The control unit 29 may move both the strip-shaped member 60 and the nozzle surface 40 relative to each other by moving both the strip-shaped member 60 and the nozzle surface 40. For example, the control unit 29 may move the wiping main body 59 to perform the front wiping operation, and may move the liquid injection unit 20 to perform the wiping operation.

The control unit 29 may perform a winding operation for winding the band-shaped member 60 after the first wiping operation, the second wiping operation, and the third wiping operation are completed. The control unit 29 may perform a winding operation before the start of the first wiping operation, the second wiping operation, and the third wiping operation.

The wiping mechanism 43 may include a main body moving mechanism capable of reciprocating the wiping main body 59 along the Z axis. The control unit 29 may change the gap G between the nozzle surface 40 and the contact area 60a by moving the wiping main body 59.

The wiping mechanism 43 may include a roller moving mechanism capable of reciprocating the pressing roller 65 along the Z axis. The control unit 29 may change the gap G between the nozzle surface 40 and the contact area 60a by moving the pressing roller 65.

The wiping mechanism 43 may include a roller rotation mechanism capable of changing the position of the contact region 60a in the direction of gravity Z by rotating the pressing roller 65. For example, the pressing roller 65 may be an eccentric roller whose axis is deviated from the center. The pressing roller 65 may have an elliptical columnar shape.

The liquid injection device 11 may be a liquid injection device that injects or ejects a liquid other than ink. The state of the liquid discharged as a minute amount of droplets from the liquid injection device shall include those having a granular, tear-like, or thread-like tail. The liquid referred to here may be any material that can be injected from a liquid injection device. For example, the liquid may be in the state when the substance is in the liquid phase, and is a highly viscous or low-viscosity liquid, sol, gel water, other inorganic solvents, organic solvents, solutions, liquid resins, liquid metals, etc. It shall contain a fluid such as a metal melt. The liquid includes not only a liquid as a state of a substance but also a liquid in which particles of a functional material made of a solid substance such as a pigment or a metal particle are dissolved, dispersed or mixed in a solvent. Typical examples of the liquid include ink, liquid crystal, and the like as described in the above embodiment. Here, the ink includes general water-based inks, oil-based inks, and various liquid compositions such as gel inks and hot melt inks. As a specific example of the liquid injection device, for example, a liquid containing a material such as an electrode material or a color material used for manufacturing a liquid crystal display, an electroluminescence display, a surface emitting display, a color filter or the like in a dispersed or dissolved form is injected. There is a device. The liquid injection device may be a device for injecting a bioorganic substance used for producing a biochip, a device for injecting a liquid as a sample used as a precision pipette, a printing device, a microdispenser, or the like. The liquid injection device is a transparent resin such as an ultraviolet curable resin for forming a device that injects lubricating oil pinpointly into a precision machine such as a watch or a camera, a microhemispherical lens used for an optical communication element, an optical lens, and the like. It may be a device that injects a liquid onto a substrate. The liquid injection device may be a device that injects an etching solution such as an acid or an alkali in order to etch a substrate or the like.

-The strip-shaped member 60 may be impregnated with the impregnating liquid in advance. The impregnating liquid preferably contains a penetrant and a moisturizer.
The wiping mechanism 43 may supply the wiping liquid to the contact region 60a of the strip-shaped member 60 before at least one of the front wiping operation and the wiping operation. In this case, the wiping mechanism 43 may include a supply mechanism for supplying the wiping liquid, and the wiping liquid may be supplied to the contact region 60a by controlling the supply mechanism by the control unit 29. As a result, the front wiping operation and the wiping operation can be performed by the band-shaped member 60 to which the wiping liquid is supplied.

-A wiping liquid containing an additive contained in the impregnating liquid may be supplied to the band-shaped member 60.
-As the wiping liquid, pure water may be used, or a liquid obtained by impregnating pure water with a preservative may be used. As the wiping liquid, a liquid having a surface tension higher than the surface tension of the liquid used by the liquid injection unit 20 may be adopted. For example, as the wiping liquid, a liquid having a surface tension of 40 mN / m or more and 80 mN / m or less may be adopted, or a liquid having a surface tension of 60 mN / m or more and 80 mN / m or less may be adopted. ..

Next, the impregnating liquid impregnated in the strip-shaped member 60 will be described in detail below.
When the strip-shaped member 60 is impregnated with the impregnating liquid, the pigment particles easily move from the surface of the strip-shaped member 60 to the inside, and the pigment particles are less likely to remain on the surface of the strip-shaped member 60. The impregnating liquid preferably contains a penetrant and a moisturizer. As a result, the pigment particles are more easily absorbed in the band-shaped member 60. The impregnating liquid is not particularly limited as long as it can move the inorganic pigment particles from the surface of the band-shaped member 60 to the inside.

The surface tension of the impregnating liquid is 45 mN / m or less, preferably 35 mN / m or less. When the surface tension is low, the permeability of the inorganic pigment to the strip-shaped member 60 is improved, and the wiping property is improved. As a method for measuring surface tension, a method of measuring at a liquid temperature of 25 ° C. by the Wilhelmy method using a commonly used tensiometer, for example, a surface tension meter CBVP-Z manufactured by Kyowa Interface Science Co., Ltd., is used. It can be exemplified.

The content of the impregnating liquid is preferably 10% by mass or more and 200% by mass or less, and more preferably 50% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less, based on 100% by mass of the strip-shaped member 60. When the content is 10% by mass or more, the inorganic pigment ink can easily penetrate into the band-shaped member 60, and damage to the water-repellent film can be further suppressed. Further, when the content is 200% by mass or less, the residual impregnating liquid on the nozzle surface 40 can be further suppressed, and the missing dots due to the infiltration of air bubbles into the nozzle 36 together with the impregnating liquid and the impregnating liquid itself infiltrating the nozzle 36. It is possible to further suppress missing dots due to this.

In addition, the additive that can be contained in the impregnating liquid, that is, the component of the impregnating liquid is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include a resin, a defoaming agent, a surfactant, water, an organic solvent, and a pH adjusting agent. Each of the above components may be used alone or in combination of two or more, and the content thereof is not particularly limited.

When the impregnating liquid contains a defoaming agent, it is possible to effectively prevent the impregnating liquid remaining on the nozzle surface 40 after the cleaning treatment from foaming. Further, the impregnating liquid may contain a large amount of an acidic moisturizing agent such as polyethylene glycol or glycerin. In that case, if the impregnating liquid contains a pH adjusting agent, the ink composition is usually basic at pH 7.5 or higher. It is possible to prevent the acidic impregnating liquid from coming into contact with the object. As a result, it is possible to prevent the ink composition from shifting to the acidic side, and the storage stability of the ink composition is further maintained.

Further, the moisturizer that can be contained in the impregnating liquid is not particularly limited as long as it can be generally used for ink or the like. The moisturizer is not particularly limited, but a high boiling point moisturizer having a boiling point equivalent to 1 atm of 180 ° C. or higher, more preferably 200 ° C. or higher can be used. When the boiling point is within the above range, the volatile components in the impregnating liquid can be prevented from volatilizing, and the inorganic pigment-containing ink composition in contact with the impregnating liquid can be reliably moistened and effectively wiped off.

The high boiling point moisturizer is not particularly limited, and is, for example, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, pentamethylene glycol, trimethylene glycol, 2-butene-1,4-diol, 2-ethyl-1,3. -Hexenediol, 2-methyl-2,4-pentanediol, tripropylene glycol, polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, 1,3-propylene glycol, isopropylene glycol, isobutylene glycol, glycerin, mesoerythritol, pentaerythritol and the like. Be done.

The moisturizer may be used alone or in combination of two or more. The content of the moisturizer is preferably 10 to 100% by mass with respect to 100% by mass, which is the total mass of the impregnating liquid. When the content of the moisturizer is 100% by mass with respect to the total mass of the impregnating liquid, it means that all the components of the impregnating liquid are moisturizers.

Among the additives that can be contained in the impregnating solution, the penetrant will be described. The penetrant can be generally used without limitation as long as it can be used for ink or the like, but in a solution of 90% by mass of water and 10% by mass of a penetrant, the surface tension of the solution is 45 mN / m or less. Can also be adopted as a penetrant. The penetrant is not particularly limited, but is selected from the group consisting of, for example, alkanediols having 5 to 8 carbon atoms, glycol ethers, acetylene glycol-based surfactants, siloxane-based surfactants, and fluorine-based surfactants. There is more than one kind to be done. Further, the surface tension can be measured by the above method.

The content of the penetrant in the impregnating liquid is preferably 1% by mass or more and 40% by mass or less, and preferably 3% by mass or more and 25% by mass or less. When it is 1% by mass or more, it tends to be more excellent in wiping property, and when it is 40% by mass or less, the penetrant attacks the pigment contained in the ink near the nozzle 36, and the dispersion stability is broken. It is possible to avoid causing agglomeration.

The alkanediols having 5 to 8 carbon atoms are not particularly limited, and are, for example, 1,2-pentanediol, 1,5-pentanediol, 1,2-hexanediol, 1,6-hexanediol, 1,2. -Heptanediol, 2-ethyl-1,3-hexanediol, 2,2-dimethyl-1,3-propanediol, 2,2-dimethyl-1,3-hexanediol and the like can be mentioned. Alkanediols having 5 to 8 carbon atoms may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

The glycol ethers are not particularly limited, but for example, ethylene glycol mono-n-butyl ether, ethylene glycol mono-t-butyl ether, diethylene glycol mono-n-butyl ether, triethylene glycol mono-n-butyl ether, diethylene glycol mono-t- Butyl ether, propylene glycol monomethyl ether, propylene glycol monoethyl ether, propylene glycol mono-t-butyl ether, propylene glycol mono-n-propyl ether, propylene glycol mono-iso-propyl ether, propylene glycol mono-n-butyl ether, dipropylene glycol Mono-n-butyl ether, dipropylene glycol mono-n-propyl ether, dipropylene glycol mono-iso-propyl ether, diethylene glycol dimethyl ether, diethylene glycol diethyl ether, diethylene glycol dibutyl ether, diethylene glycol ethyl methyl ether, diethylene glycol butyl methyl ether, triethylene glycol Dimethyl ether, tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether, dipropylene glycol dimethyl ether, dipropylene glycol diethyl ether, tripropylene glycol dimethyl ether, ethylene glycol monoisohexyl ether, diethylene glycol monoisohexyl ether, triethylene glycol monoisohexyl ether, ethylene glycol monoisoheptyl ether , Diethylene glycol monoisoheptyl ether, triethylene glycol monoisoheptyl ether, ethylene glycol monoisooctyl ether, diethylene glycol monoisooctyl ether, triethylene glycol monoisooctyl ether, ethyleneglycol mono-2-ethylhexyl ether, diethylene glycol mono-2- Ethylhexyl ether, triethylene glycol mono-2-ethylhexyl ether, diethylene glycol mono-2-ethylpentyl ether, ethylene glycol mono-2-ethylpentyl ether, ethylene glycol mono-2-methylpentyl ether, diethylene glycol mono-2-methylpentyl ether And so on. Glycol ethers may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

The acetylene glycol-based surfactant is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include compounds represented by the following formulas.

［式（１）中、０≦ｍ＋ｎ≦５０、Ｒ^１＊、Ｒ^２＊、Ｒ^３＊、及びＲ^４＊は各々独立してアルキル基、好ましくは炭素数１〜６のアルキル基を表す。］
式（１）で表されるアセチレングリコール系界面活性剤の中でも、好ましくは２，４，７，９−テトラメチル−５−デシン−４，７−ジオール、３，６−ジメチル−４−オクチン−３，６−ジオール、３，５−ジメチル−１−ヘキシン−３オールなどが挙げられる。式（１）で表されるアセチレングリコール系界面活性剤として市販品を利用することも可能であり、その具体例としては、いずれも「ＡｉｒＰｒｏｄｕｃｔｓ ａｎｄ Ｃｈｅｍｉｃａｌｓ．Ｉｎｃ．」より入手可能なサーフィノール８２、１０４、４４０、４６５、４８５、又はＴＧ、日信化学社製のオルフィンＳＴＧ、日信化学社製のオルフィンＥ１０１０などが挙げられる。アセチレングリコール系界面活性剤は、一種単独で用いても又は二種以上を併用してもよい。

[In the formula (1), 0 ≦ m + n ≦ 50, R ^{1 *} , R ^{2 *} , R ^{3 *} , and R ^{4 *} each independently represent an alkyl group, preferably an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms. ]
Among the acetylene glycol-based surfactants represented by the formula (1), preferably 2,4,7,9-tetramethyl-5-decyne-4,7-diol and 3,6-dimethyl-4-octyne- Examples thereof include 3,6-diol and 3,5-dimethyl-1-hexin-3ol. Commercially available products can also be used as the acetylene glycol-based surfactant represented by the formula (1), and specific examples thereof include Surfinol 82, which can be obtained from "Air Products and Chemicals. Inc.". Examples thereof include 104, 440, 465, 485, or TG, Orfin STG manufactured by Nisshin Kagaku Co., Ltd., Orfin E1010 manufactured by Nisshin Kagaku Co., Ltd., and the like. The acetylene glycol-based surfactant may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

The siloxane-based surfactant is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include those represented by the following formula (2) or (3).

［式（２）中、Ｒ^１、Ｒ^２、Ｒ^３、Ｒ^４、Ｒ^５、Ｒ^６、及びＲ^７は、各々独立して、炭素数が１〜６のアルキル基、好ましくはメチル基を表す。ｊ及びｋは、各々独立して１以上の整数を表すが、好ましくは１〜５、より好ましくは１〜４、さらに好ましくは１又は２であり、ｊ＝ｋ＝１若しくはｋ＝ｊ＋１を満足することが好ましい。また、ｇは０以上の整数を表し、好ましくは１〜３であり、より好ましくは１である。さらに、ｐ及びｑはそれぞれ０以上の整数を表し、好ましくは１〜５を表す。但しｐ＋ｑは１以上の整数であり、好ましくはｐ＋ｑは２〜４である。］
式（２）で表されるシロキサン系界面活性剤としては、Ｒ^１〜Ｒ^７がすべてメチル基を表し、ｊが１〜２を表し、ｋが１〜２を表し、ｇが１〜２を表し、ｐが１以上５以下の整数を表し、ｑが０である化合物が好ましい。

[In formula (2), R ¹ , R ² , R ³ , R ⁴ , R ⁵ , R ⁶ , and R ⁷ each independently have an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, preferably a methyl group. show. j and k each independently represent an integer of 1 or more, preferably 1 to 5, more preferably 1 to 4, still more preferably 1 or 2, satisfying j = k = 1 or k = j + 1. It is preferable to do so. Further, g represents an integer of 0 or more, preferably 1 to 3, and more preferably 1. Further, p and q each represent an integer of 0 or more, preferably 1 to 5. However, p + q is an integer of 1 or more, and p + q is preferably 2 to 4. ]
As the siloxane-based surfactant represented by the formula (2), R ^{1 to} R ⁷ all represent a methyl group, j represents 1 to 2, k represents 1 to 2, and g represents 1 to 2. A compound in which p represents an integer of 1 or more and 5 or less and q is 0 is preferable.

［式（３）中、Ｒは水素原子又はメチル基を表し、ａは２〜１８の整数を表し、ｍは０〜５０の整数を表し、ｎは１〜５の整数を表す。］
式（３）で表されるシロキサン系界面活性剤としては、特に限定されないが、例えば、Ｒが水素原子又はメチル基を表し、ａが７〜１１の整数を表し、ｍが３０〜５０の整数を表し、ｎが３〜５の整数を表す化合物、Ｒが水素原子又はメチル基を表し、ａが９〜１３の整数を表し、ｍが２〜４の整数を表し、ｎが１〜２の整数である化合物、Ｒが水素原子又はメチル基を表し、ａが６〜１８の整数を表し、ｍが０の整数を表し、ｎが１の整数である化合物、Ｒが水素原子を表し、ａが２〜５の整数を表し、ｍが２０〜４０の整数を表し、ｎが３〜５の整数である化合物などが好ましい。

[In formula (3), R represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, a represents an integer of 2 to 18, m represents an integer of 0 to 50, and n represents an integer of 1 to 5. ]
The siloxane-based surfactant represented by the formula (3) is not particularly limited, but for example, R represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, a represents an integer of 7 to 11, and m is an integer of 30 to 50. , N represents an integer of 3 to 5, R represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, a represents an integer of 9 to 13, m represents an integer of 2 to 4, and n represents a 1-2. A compound that is an integer, R represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, a represents an integer of 6 to 18, m represents an integer of 0, n represents an integer of 1, and R represents a hydrogen atom. Represents an integer of 2 to 5, m represents an integer of 20 to 40, and n is an integer of 3 to 5, and the like is preferable.

The siloxane-based surfactant is commercially available and may be commercially available. For example, Orfin PD-501 manufactured by Nissin Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. and Orphine PD-manufactured by Nissin Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. 570, BYK-347 manufactured by Big Chemie Co., Ltd., BYK-348 manufactured by Big Chemie Co., Ltd., and the like can be used. The above-mentioned siloxane-based surfactant may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

As disclosed in WO2010 / 050618 and WO2011 / 007888, the fluorine-based surfactant is known as a solvent that exhibits good wettability to a low-absorbent, non-absorbent medium 14. The fluorosurfactant is not particularly limited, but may be appropriately selected depending on the intended purpose. For example, perfluoroalkyl sulfonate, perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acid salt, perfluoroalkyl phosphate ester, perfluoroalkyl ethylene. Oxide adducts, perfluoroalkyl betaines, perfluoroalkylamine oxide compounds and the like can be mentioned.

In addition to the above, as the fluorine-based surfactant, an appropriately synthesized one may be used, or a commercially available product may be used. Examples of commercially available products include S.144 and S.145 manufactured by Asahi Glass Co., Ltd .; FC / 170C, FC.430 and Florard FC4430 manufactured by Sumitomo 3M Ltd .; FSO, FSO / 100, FSN, FSN manufactured by DuPont. -100, FS-300; FT-250, 251 manufactured by Neos Co., Ltd. and the like can be mentioned. Among these, FSO, FSO / 100, FSN, FSN / 100, and FS / 300 manufactured by DuPont are preferable. The fluorine-based surfactant may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

Next, the ink as a liquid used by the liquid injection unit 20 will be described in detail below.
The ink used in the liquid injection device 11 contains a resin in composition and substantially does not contain glycerin having a boiling point of 290 ° C. under 1 atm. If the ink contains substantially glycerin, the dryness of the ink is significantly reduced. As a result, in various media 14, particularly the ink non-absorbent or low-absorbent medium 14, not only the shading unevenness of the image is conspicuous, but also the ink fixability cannot be obtained. Further, it is preferable that the ink does not substantially contain alkyl polyols having a boiling point of 280 ° C. or higher at 1 atm, excluding the above-mentioned glycerin.

Here, "substantially not contained" in the present specification means that the content is not contained in an amount that sufficiently exerts the significance of addition. Quantitatively speaking, it is preferable that glycerin is not contained in an amount of 1.0% by mass or more, more preferably 0.5% by mass or more, and 0, based on 100% by mass, which is the total mass of the ink. . It is more preferably not contained in an amount of 1% by mass or more, further preferably not contained in an amount of 0.05% by mass or more, and particularly preferably not contained in an amount of 0.01% by mass or more. Most preferably, it does not contain 0.001% by mass or more of glycerin.

<Liquid repellent>
A liquid repellent film may be formed on the nozzle surface 40. The liquid-repellent film is not particularly limited as long as it is a film having liquid-repellent properties. The liquid-repellent film can be formed, for example, by forming a molecular film of a metal alkoxide having a liquid-repellent property and then performing a drying treatment, an annealing treatment, or the like. The molecular film of the metal alkoxide may be any one as long as it has liquid repellency, but it may be a monomolecular film of the metal alkoxide having a long-chain polymer group containing fluorine (long-chain RF group) or a liquid-repellent group (for example). , It is desirable that it is a monomolecular film of a metal acid salt having a long-chain polymer group containing fluorine. The metal alkoxide is not particularly limited, but as the metal species thereof, for example, silicon, titanium, aluminum, and zirconium are generally used. Examples of the long-chain RF group include a perfluoroalkyl chain and a perfluoropolyether chain. Examples of the alkoxysilane having a long-chain RF group include a silane coupling agent having a long-chain RF group. Further, as the liquid repellent film, for example, an SCA (Silane Coupling Agent) film or the one described in Japanese Patent No. 4424954 can also be used.

The liquid-repellent film may be formed by forming a conductive film on the surface of the cover member 38 and forming the conductive film on the conductive film, but a base film (PPSi (Plasma Polymerized Silicone) film) is formed by first plasma-polymerizing a silicon material. May be formed on the base film. The silicon material of the cover member 38 and the liquid-repellent film can be blended through the base film.

The liquid repellent film preferably has a thickness of 1 nm or more and 30 nm or less. Within such a thickness range, the cover member 38 tends to be more excellent in liquid repellency, the deterioration of the film is relatively slow, and the liquid repellency can be maintained for a longer period of time. In addition, it is more excellent in terms of cost and ease of film formation. Further, from the viewpoint of ease of forming a film, it is more preferable to have a thickness of 1 nm or more and 20 nm or less, and further preferably to have a thickness of 1 nm or more and 15 nm or less.

<Ink composition>
Next, is it included in an ink composition containing an inorganic pigment (hereinafter, an ink composition containing an inorganic pigment) and an ink composition containing a coloring material other than the inorganic pigment (hereinafter, an ink composition containing no inorganic pigment)? , Or the additives (ingredients) that can be contained will be described. The ink composition is composed of a coloring material (inorganic pigment, organic pigment, dye, etc.), a solvent (water, organic solvent, etc.), a resin, a surfactant, and the like.

<Color material>
The inorganic pigment-containing ink composition contains an inorganic pigment as a coloring material in the range of 1.0% by mass or more and 20.0% by mass or less. In particular, when the inorganic pigment-containing ink composition is a white ink composition, the inorganic pigment concentration is preferably 5% by mass or more.

In addition, the inorganic pigment-free ink composition may contain a coloring material selected from pigments and dyes other than inorganic pigments.
<Pigment>
The inorganic pigment contained in the inorganic pigment-containing ink composition preferably has an average particle size of 20 nm or more and 250 nm or less, and more preferably 20 nm or more and 200 nm or less.

Further, the needle-like ratio of the inorganic pigment is preferably 3.0 or less. With such a needle-like ratio, the present invention can satisfactorily protect the liquid-repellent film. The needle-like ratio is a value obtained by dividing the maximum length of each particle by the minimum width (needle-like ratio = maximum length of particles / minimum width of particles). The needle-like ratio can be specified using a transmission electron microscope.

The Mohs hardness of the inorganic pigment is more than 2.0, preferably 5 or more and 8 or less.
Examples of inorganic pigments include simple metals such as carbon black, gold, silver, copper, aluminum, nickel and zinc; cerium oxide, chromium oxide, aluminum oxide, zinc oxide, magnesium oxide, silicon oxide, tin oxide and zirconium oxide. Oxides such as iron oxide and titanium oxide; Sulfates such as calcium sulfate, barium sulfate and aluminum sulfate; Sirates such as calcium silicate and magnesium silicate; Chidide such as boron silicate and titanium silicate; Silicon carbide, titanium carbide , Carbonated products such as boron carbide, tungsten carbide, zirconium carbide; and borooxides such as zirconium borohydride and titanium borooxide. Among these, preferable inorganic pigments include aluminum, aluminum oxide, titanium oxide, zinc oxide, zirconium oxide, silicon oxide and the like. More preferably, titanium oxide, silicon oxide and aluminum oxide can be mentioned. In titanium oxide, the rutile type has a Mohs hardness of about 7 to 7.5, while the anatase type has a Mohs hardness of about 6.6 to 6. The rutile-type titanium oxide has a low production cost, is a preferable crystal system, and can exhibit good whiteness. Therefore, when rutile-type titanium dioxide is used, the liquid injection device 11 has a liquid-repellent film storage property and can produce a recorded material having a good whiteness at low cost.

The organic pigment is not particularly limited, but for example, quinacridone pigment, quinacridone quinone pigment, dioxazine pigment, phthalocyanine pigment, anthrapyrimidine pigment, anthanthrone pigment, indanslon pigment, flavanthron pigment, Perylene pigments, diketopyrrolopyrrole pigments, perinone pigments, quinophthalone pigments, anthraquinone pigments, thioindigo pigments, benzimidazolone pigments, isoindolinone pigments, azomethine pigments, azo pigments, etc. Be done. Specific examples of the organic pigment include the following.

Examples of the pigment used for cyan ink include C.I. I. Pigment Blue 1, 2, 3, 15, 15: 1, 15: 2, 15: 3, 15: 4, 15: 6, 15:34, 16, 18, 22, 60, 65, 66, C.I. I. Bat blue 4, 60 and the like can be mentioned. Above all, C.I. I. At least one of Pigment Blue 15: 3 and 15: 4 is preferred.

Pigments used in magenta ink include C.I. I. Pigment Red 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 30, 31, 32, 37, 38, 40, 41, 42, 48 (Ca), 48 (Mn), 57 (Ca), 57: 1, 88, 112, 114, 122, 123, 144, 146, 149, 150, 166, 168 , 170, 171, 175, 176, 177, 178, 179, 184, 185, 187, 202, 209, 219, 224, 245, 254, 264, C.I. I. Pigment Violet 19, 23, 32, 33, 36, 38, 43, 50 and the like. Above all, C.I. I. Pigment Red 122, C.I. I. Pigment Red 202, and C.I. I. One or more selected from the group consisting of Pigment Violet 19 is preferable.

Examples of the pigment used in the yellow ink include C.I. I. Pigment Yellow 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 24, 34, 35, 37, 53, 55, 65, 73, 74, 75, 81, 83, 93, 94, 95, 97, 98, 99, 108, 109, 110, 113, 114, 117, 120, 124, 128, 129, 133, 138, 139, 147, 151, 153, 154, 155, 167, 172, 180, 185, 213 and the like can be mentioned. Above all, C.I. I. One or more selected from the group consisting of Pigment Yellow 74, 155, and 213 is preferred.

Examples of pigments used for inks of colors other than the above, such as green ink and orange ink, include conventionally known pigments.
The average particle size of the pigments other than the inorganic pigments is preferably 250 nm or less because clogging in the nozzle 36 can be suppressed and the ejection stability is further improved.

The average particle size in the present specification is based on the volume. As a measuring method, for example, it can be measured by a particle size distribution measuring device based on a laser diffraction / scattering method. Examples of the particle size distribution measuring device include a particle size distribution meter based on a dynamic light scattering method (for example, Microtrack UPA manufactured by Nikkiso Co., Ltd.).

<Dye>
A dye can be used as the coloring material. The dye is not particularly limited, and acid dyes, direct dyes, reactive dyes, and basic dyes can be used.

The content of the coloring material is preferably 0.4 to 12% by mass, more preferably 2 to 5% by mass, based on the total mass (100% by mass) of the ink composition.
<Resin>
Examples of the resin include resin dispersants, resin emulsions, waxes and the like. Among these, emulsions are preferable because they have good adhesion and abrasion resistance.

The inorganic pigment-containing ink composition preferably has the following characteristics (1) or (2) in terms of composition.
(1) The ink composition for inkjet recording contains a first resin having a thermal deformation temperature of 10 ° C. or lower (hereinafter, referred to as "first ink").

(2) The ink composition for inkjet recording contains a second resin and substantially does not contain glycerin (hereinafter, referred to as "second ink").
These ink compositions have a property of easily solidifying on the nozzle surface 40 and the strip-shaped member 60, and tend to promote damage to the liquid-repellent film, which can be satisfactorily prevented by the present invention.

The first ink contains a first resin having a thermal deformation temperature of 10 ° C. or lower. Such a resin has a property of firmly adhering to a material having a high flexibility and absorbency such as a cloth. On the other hand, film formation and solidification proceed rapidly, and the film adheres to the nozzle surface 40, the strip-shaped member 60, and the like as a solid substance.

The second ink is substantially free of glycerin having a boiling point of 290 ° C. under 1 atm. When the colored ink substantially contains glycerin, the drying property of the ink is significantly reduced. As a result, in various media 14, particularly the ink non-absorbent or low-absorbent medium 14, not only the shading unevenness of the image is conspicuous, but also the ink fixability cannot be obtained. Further, since glycerin is not contained, water and the like, which are the main solvent in the ink, rapidly volatilize, and the proportion of the organic solvent in the second ink increases. In this case, the thermal deformation temperature (particularly the film thickening temperature) of the resin is lowered, and the solidification by the one-layer film is promoted. Further, it is preferable that the alkyl polyols (excluding the above-mentioned glycerin) having a boiling point of 280 ° C. or higher under 1 atm are substantially not contained. Further, in the case of the second ink, in the case of the liquid injection device 11 having a heating mechanism for heating the medium 14 conveyed to the position facing the liquid injection unit 20, the ink in the vicinity of the liquid injection unit 20 is dried. Further, the problem becomes remarkable, but it can be satisfactorily prevented by the present invention. The heating temperature is preferably 30 ° C. or higher and 80 ° C. or lower from the viewpoint of ink storage stability and recorded image quality. The heating mechanism is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include a heating heater, a hot air heater, and an infrared heater.

Here, "substantially not contained" in the present specification means that the content is not contained in an amount that sufficiently exerts the significance of addition. Quantitatively speaking, it is preferable that glycerin is not contained in an amount of 1.0% by mass or more, more preferably 0.5% by mass or more, based on the total mass (100% by mass) of the colored ink. It is further preferably not contained in an amount of 0.1% by mass or more, further preferably not contained in an amount of 0.05% by mass or more, particularly preferably not contained in an amount of 0.01% by mass or more, and not contained in an amount of 0.001% by mass or more. Most preferred.

The thermal deformation temperature of the first resin is 10 ° C. or lower. Further, it is preferably −10 ° C. or lower, and more preferably −15 ° C. or lower. When the glass transition temperature of the fixing resin is within the above range, the fixing property of the pigment in the recorded material becomes more excellent, and as a result, the abrasion resistance becomes excellent. The lower limit of the thermal deformation temperature is not particularly limited, but it is preferably −50 ° C. or higher.

The thermal deformation temperature of the second resin is preferably 40 ° C. or higher, preferably 60 ° C. or higher, because the head is less likely to be clogged and the scratch resistance of the recorded material can be improved. Is more preferable. The preferred upper limit is 100 ° C. or lower.

Here, the "thermal deformation temperature" in the present specification is a temperature value represented by a glass transition temperature (Tg) or a minimum film forming temperature (MFT). That is, "the thermal deformation temperature is 40 ° C. or higher" means that either Tg or MFT may be 40 ° C. or higher. Since it is easier to grasp the superiority or inferiority of the redispersibility of the resin in MFT than in Tg, the thermal deformation temperature is preferably a temperature value represented by MFT. If the ink composition has excellent redispersibility of the resin, the ink composition does not stick to the ink composition, so that the head is less likely to be clogged.

Tg in the present specification is described as a value measured by the differential scanning calorimetry method. Further, the MFT in the present specification is described as a value measured by ISO2115: 1996 (Title: Measurement of Plastic-Polymer Dispersion-White Point Temperature and Minimum Film Formation Temperature).

<Resin dispersant>
When the above pigment is contained in the ink composition, the ink composition may contain a resin dispersant so that the pigment can be stably dispersed and held in water. The ink composition adhered to the medium 14 because the ink composition contained a pigment (hereinafter referred to as "resin-dispersed pigment") dispersed using a resin dispersant such as a water-soluble resin or a water-dispersible resin. Occasionally, the adhesion between the medium 14 and the ink composition and between the solidified materials in the ink composition can be improved. Among the resin dispersants, a water-soluble resin is preferable because it has excellent dispersion stability.

<Resin emulsion>
The ink composition may include a resin emulsion. By forming a resin film, the resin emulsion has the effect of sufficiently fixing the ink composition on the medium 14 and improving the scratch resistance of the image. Due to the above effects, the recorded material recorded using the ink composition containing the resin emulsion has excellent adhesion and abrasion resistance, particularly on a cloth, an ink non-absorbent or low-absorbent medium 14. .. On the other hand, there is a tendency to promote the solidification of the inorganic pigment, but according to the present invention, it is possible to satisfactorily prevent the problem of deterioration of the liquid repellent film caused by wiping the solidified deposits.

Further, the resin emulsion that functions as a binder is preferably contained in the ink composition in an emulsion state. By containing a resin that functions as a binder in the ink composition in an emulsion state, it is easy to adjust the viscosity of the ink composition to an appropriate range in the inkjet recording method, and the storage stability and ejection stability of the ink composition are stable. Will be excellent.

The resin emulsion is not particularly limited, and for example, (meth) acrylic acid, (meth) acrylic acid ester, acrylonitrile, cyanoacrylate, acrylamide, olefin, styrene, vinyl acetate, vinyl chloride, vinyl alcohol, vinyl ether, vinylpyrrolidone, and the like. Examples include homopolymers or copolymers of vinylpyridine, vinylcarbazole, vinylimidazole, and vinylidene chloride, fluororesins, natural resins, and the like. Among them, at least one of (meth) acrylic resin and styrene- (meth) acrylic acid copolymer resin is preferable, and at least one of acrylic resin and styrene-acrylic acid copolymer resin is more preferable, and styrene. -Acrylic acid copolymer resin is more preferable. The above-mentioned copolymer may be in any form of a random copolymer, a block copolymer, an alternating copolymer, and a graft copolymer.

The resin emulsion may be a commercially available product, or may be prepared by using an emulsion polymerization method or the like as described below. As a method of obtaining the resin in the ink composition in an emulsion state, emulsion polymerization of the above-mentioned water-soluble resin monomer in water in which a polymerization catalyst and an emulsifier are present can be mentioned. The polymerization initiator, emulsifier, and molecular weight modifier used in the emulsion polymerization can be used according to conventionally known methods.

The average particle size of the resin emulsion is preferably in the range of 5 nm to 400 nm, and more preferably in the range of 20 nm to 300 nm in order to further improve the storage stability and ejection stability of the ink.

The resin emulsion may be used alone or in combination of two or more. Among the resins, the content of the resin emulsion is preferably in the range of 0.5 to 15% by mass with respect to the total mass (100% by mass) of the ink composition. When the content is within the above range, the solid content concentration can be lowered, so that the discharge stability can be further improved.

<Wax>
The ink composition may include wax. The inclusion of wax in the ink composition makes the ink composition more fixable on the non-ink-absorbing and low-absorbing medium 14. Among the waxes, emulsion or suspension type waxes are more preferable. Examples of the wax include, but are not limited to, polyethylene wax, paraffin wax, and polypropylene wax, and among them, polyethylene wax described later is preferable.

When the ink composition contains polyethylene wax, the scratch resistance of the ink can be made excellent.
The average particle size of the polyethylene wax is preferably in the range of 5 nm to 400 nm, and more preferably in the range of 50 nm to 200 nm in order to further improve the storage stability and ejection stability of the ink.

The polyethylene wax content (in terms of solid content) is preferably in the range of 0.1 to 3% by mass, more preferably in the range of 0.3 to 3% by mass, based on the total mass (100% by mass) of the ink composition. It is preferable, and the range of 0.3 to 1.5% by mass is more preferable. When the content is within the above range, the ink composition can be satisfactorily solidified and fixed even on the medium 14, and the storage stability and ejection stability of the ink are further excellent.

<Defoamer>
The ink composition may include an antifoaming agent. More specifically, at least one of the ink composition or the impregnating liquid may contain an antifoaming agent. When the ink composition contains an antifoaming agent, foaming can be suppressed, and as a result, the possibility of bubbles entering the nozzle 36 can be reduced.

Examples of the defoaming agent include, but are not limited to, a silicon-based defoaming agent, a polyether-based defoaming agent, a fatty acid ester-based defoaming agent, and an acetylene glycol-based defoaming agent. Among these, a silicon-based defoaming agent and an acetylene glycol-based defoaming agent are preferable because they are excellent in the ability to appropriately maintain surface tension and interfacial tension and hardly generate air bubbles. Further, the HLB value of the antifoaming agent based on the Griffin method is more preferably 5 or less.

<Surfactant>
The ink composition may contain a surfactant (excluding those listed in the above defoaming agents, that is, limited to those having an HLB value of more than 5 by the Griffin method). Examples of the surfactant include, but are not limited to, nonionic surfactants. The nonionic surfactant has an action of uniformly spreading the ink on the medium 14. Therefore, when inkjet recording is performed using an ink containing a nonionic surfactant, a high-definition image with almost no bleeding can be obtained. Such nonionic surfactants are not limited to the following, but are, for example, silicon-based, polyoxyethylene alkyl ether-based, polyoxypropylene alkyl ether-based, polycyclic phenyl ether-based, sorbitan derivatives, and fluorine-based interfaces. Activators and the like can be mentioned, and among them, silicon-based surfactants are preferable.

Compared with other nonionic surfactants, the silicon-based surfactant is excellent in the action of uniformly spreading the ink on the medium 14 so as not to cause bleeding.
The surfactant may be used alone or in combination of two or more. The content of the surfactant is 0.1% by mass or more and 3% by mass or less with respect to the total mass (100% by mass) of the ink because the storage stability and ejection stability of the ink are further improved. It is preferably in the range.

<Water>
The ink composition may contain water. In particular, when the ink composition is a water-based ink, water is the main solvent of the ink and becomes a component that evaporates and scatters when the medium 14 is heated in inkjet recording.

Examples of water include pure water such as ion-exchanged water, ultra-filtered water, reverse osmosis water, and distilled water, and ultrapure water from which ionic impurities have been removed as much as possible. Further, when water sterilized by irradiation with ultraviolet rays or addition of hydrogen peroxide or the like is used, it is possible to prevent the growth of mold and bacteria when the pigment dispersion liquid and the ink using the same are stored for a long period of time.

The water content is not particularly limited and may be appropriately determined as needed.
<Surface tension of ink composition>
The surface tension of the ink composition is not particularly limited, but is preferably 15 to 35 mN / m. As a result, it is possible to ensure the permeability of the ink composition to the strip-shaped member 60 and the bleeding prevention property at the time of recording, and the ink wiping property during the cleaning operation is improved. As described above, the surface tension of the ink composition can also be exemplified by a method of measuring using a commonly used surface tension meter (for example, a surface tension meter CBVP-Z manufactured by Kyowa Interface Science Co., Ltd.). Further, it is preferable that the difference between the surface tension of the ink composition and the surface tension of the cleaning liquid is within 10 mN / m. As a result, it is possible to prevent the surface tension of the ink composition from being extremely lowered when both are mixed in the vicinity of the nozzle 36.

The technical idea and its action and effect grasped from the above-described embodiments and modifications are described below.
(A) The liquid injection device is in a state in which a liquid injection unit capable of injecting liquid from a nozzle arranged on the nozzle surface and a band-shaped member capable of absorbing the liquid injected by the liquid injection unit are in contact with the nozzle surface. A wiping mechanism capable of performing a wiping operation of wiping the nozzle surface by moving relative to the nozzle surface, and a strip-shaped member before the wiping operation of wiping the nozzle surface with the strip-shaped member. Control to perform a pre-wiping operation of relative movement with respect to the nozzle surface at a speed faster than the relative movement during the wiping operation in a state of being non-contact with the nozzle surface and in contact with the liquid adhering to the nozzle surface. It has a part and.

According to this configuration, the control unit moves the strip-shaped member and the nozzle surface relative to each other to continuously perform the front wiping operation and the wiping operation. The front wiping operation moves the strip-shaped member and the nozzle surface relative to each other at a speed faster than the wiping operation. The time required for the pre-wiping operation is shorter than the time required for the wiping operation. The time required when the pre-wiping operation and the wiping operation are continuously performed is shorter than the time required when the wiping operation is continuously performed. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the time that increases when the nozzle surface is wiped a plurality of times.

(B) In the liquid injection device, after the front wiping operation, the control unit moves the band-shaped member relative to the nozzle surface in a direction opposite to the relative movement during the front wiping operation to perform the wiping operation. You may go.

For example, if the direction in which the band-shaped member and the nozzle surface move relative to each other is the same in the front wiping operation and the wiping operation, the band-shaped member and the nozzle surface perform the front wiping operation and then return to their original positions before performing the wiping operation. There is a need to do. In that respect, according to this configuration, the direction in which the band-shaped member and the nozzle surface move relative to each other during the front wiping operation and the direction in which the band-shaped member and the nozzle surface move relative to each other during the wiping operation are opposite. Therefore, the strip-shaped member and the nozzle surface can perform the relative movement of the wiping operation from the position where the front wiping operation is completed, and the front wiping operation and the wiping operation can be efficiently performed.

(C) In the liquid injection device, when the operation of performing the pre-wiping operation before the wiping operation is the first wiping operation, the control unit determines that the amount of the liquid adhering to the nozzle surface is the first wiping operation. When the number of operations is less than the case where the operation is performed, the second wiping operation in which the wiping operation is performed may be performed without performing the pre-wiping operation.

When the amount of liquid adhering to the nozzle surface is small, the liquid adhering to the nozzle surface may be sufficiently wiped off only by the wiping operation. In that respect, according to this configuration, when the amount of liquid adhering to the nozzle surface is small, the control unit performs the wiping operation without performing the pre-wiping operation. Therefore, wiping can be efficiently performed according to the state of the nozzle surface.

(D) In the liquid injection device, the wiping mechanism can perform a winding operation of winding the band-shaped member so that an unused portion of the band-shaped member can come into contact with the nozzle surface, and before the wiping operation. When the operation of performing the pre-wiping operation is the first wiping operation, the control unit performs the pre-wiping operation when the amount of the liquid adhering to the nozzle surface is larger than that of the first wiping operation. The third wiping operation, in which the wiping operation is performed after the winding operation is performed, may be performed.

If the amount of liquid adhering to the nozzle surface is large, it may not be completely wiped off by the front wiping operation and the wiping operation. In that respect, according to this configuration, when the amount of liquid adhering to the nozzle surface is large, the control unit performs the front wiping operation, the winding operation, and the wiping operation in order. In the strip-shaped member, the portion that has absorbed the liquid by the front wiping operation is wound by the winding operation. That is, by performing the wiping operation on a band-shaped member portion different from the front wiping operation, the amount of liquid remaining on the nozzle surface can be reduced even when the amount of liquid adhering to the nozzle surface is large.

(E) The maintenance method of the liquid injection device is to contact a liquid injection unit capable of injecting liquid from a nozzle arranged on the nozzle surface and a band-shaped member capable of absorbing the liquid injected by the liquid injection unit into contact with the nozzle surface. It is a maintenance method of a liquid injection device including a wiping mechanism capable of performing a wiping operation of wiping the nozzle surface by moving the nozzle surface relative to the nozzle surface in a state of being moved. Prior to the wiping operation, the strip-shaped member is brought into contact with the liquid adhering to the nozzle surface without contacting the nozzle surface, and at a speed faster than the relative movement during the wiping operation. Performs a pre-wiping operation to move relative to the nozzle surface. According to this method, the same effect as that of the liquid injection device can be obtained.

(F) In the maintenance method of the liquid injection device, after the front wiping operation, the strip-shaped member is moved relative to the nozzle surface in a direction opposite to the relative movement during the front wiping operation to perform the wiping operation. May be good. According to this method, the same effect as that of the liquid injection device can be obtained.

(G) In the maintenance method of the liquid injection device, when the operation of performing the pre-wiping operation before the wiping operation is the first wiping operation, the amount of the liquid adhering to the nozzle surface performs the first wiping operation. When the number is less than the case where the wiping operation is performed, the second wiping operation in which the wiping operation is performed may be performed without performing the pre-wiping operation. According to this method, the same effect as that of the liquid injection device can be obtained.

(H) In the maintenance method of the liquid injection device, the wiping mechanism can execute a winding operation of winding the band-shaped member so that an unused portion of the band-shaped member can come into contact with the nozzle surface, and the wiping can be performed. When the operation of performing the pre-wiping operation before the operation is the first wiping operation, the pre-wiping operation is performed when the amount of the liquid adhering to the nozzle surface is larger than that of the case of performing the first wiping operation. The third wiping operation, in which the wiping operation is performed after the unused portion of the strip-shaped member can be brought into contact with the nozzle surface, may be performed. According to this method, the same effect as that of the liquid injection device can be obtained.

11 ... Liquid injection device, 12 ... Legs, 13 ... Housing, 14 ... Medium, 15 ... Feeding section, 16 ... Guide section, 17 ... Recovery section, 18 ... Tension applying mechanism, 20 ... Liquid injection section, 21 ... Carriage , 22 ... Maintenance unit, 23 ... Liquid supply device, 24 ... Operation panel, 25 ... Liquid container, 26 ... Mounting part, 27 ... Supply flow path, 29 ... Control unit, 31 ... Guide shaft, 32 ... Carriage motor, 34 ... Air conditioner, 36 ... Nozzle, 37 ... Nozzle forming member, 38 ... Cover member, 39 ... Through hole, 40 ... Nozzle surface, 42 ... Flushing device, 43 ... Wiping mechanism, 44 ... Suction device, 45 ... Capping device, 47 ... Liquid receiving part, 48 ... lid member, 49 ... lid motor, 51 ... suction cap, 52 ... suction holder, 53 ... suction motor, 54 ... decompression mechanism, 56 ... neglected cap, 57 ... neglected holding body , 58 ... Abandoned motor, 59 ... Wiping main body, 60 ... Band-shaped member, 60a ... Contact area, 60b ... Receiving area, 61 ... Case, 61a ... Opening, 62 ... Power transmission mechanism, 63 ... Wiping motor, 64 ... Unwinding part, 64a ... Unwinding shaft, 65 ... Pressing roller, 66 ... Downstream roller, 67 ... Winding part, 67a ... Winding shaft, 68 ... Gap changing mechanism, 70 ... Track part, 71 ... Rail, 72 ... Rack , 73 ... 1st pressing part, 74 ... 1st locking part, 75 ... 2nd locking part, 76 ... 2nd pressing part, 80 ... drive gear, 80a ... drive shaft, 81 ... 1st gear, 82 ... 2 gears, 83 ... 3rd gear, 83a ... gear shaft, 84 ... 4th gear, 85 ... 5th gear, 86 ... 6th gear, 87 ... 7th gear, 88 ... 8th gear, 89 ... 9th gear, 90 ... 10th gear, 91 ... 11th gear, 92 ... 12th gear, 93 ... 13th gear, 94 ... 14th gear, 95 ... 15th gear, 96 ... 16th gear, 97 ... 17th gear, 98 ... Winding gear, 99 ... Unwinding gear, 100 ... Rotating member, 100a ... First protruding part, 100b ... Second protruding part, 101 ... First contact part, 102 ... Second contact part, 103 ... Third hit Contact part, 104 ... 1st spring, 105 ... 2nd spring, 107 ... Stopper, 108 ... 3rd spring, 109 ... Rotating shaft, 110 ... Upper contact part, 111 ... Lower contact part, 112 ... Meshing part, CP ... Cleaning position, D ... Movement direction, G ... Gap, G1 ... 1st nozzle group, G2 ... 2nd nozzle group, G3 ... 3rd nozzle group, G4 ... 4th nozzle group, G5 ... 5th nozzle group, G6 ... 6th nozzle group, HP ... home position, L1 ... 1st nozzle row, L2 ... 2nd nozzle row, L3 ... 3rd nozzle row, L4 ... 4th Zulu row, L5 ... 5th nozzle row, L6 ... 6th nozzle row, L7 ... 7th nozzle row, L8 ... 8th nozzle row, L9 ... 9th nozzle row, L10 ... 10th nozzle row, L11 ... 11th nozzle Row, L12 ... 12th nozzle row, RP ... Receiving position, W1 ... 1st wiping direction, W2 ... 2nd wiping direction, WP ... Standby position, X ... Width direction, Y ... Depth direction, Z ... Gravity direction.

Claims (8)

A liquid injection unit that can inject liquid from a nozzle placed on the nozzle surface,
A wiping mechanism capable of performing a wiping operation of wiping the nozzle surface by moving the strip-shaped member capable of absorbing the liquid ejected by the liquid injection unit relative to the nozzle surface in a state of being in contact with the nozzle surface. When,
Prior to the wiping operation of wiping the nozzle surface with the strip-shaped member, the band-shaped member is in a state of being non-contact with the nozzle surface and in contact with the liquid adhering to the nozzle surface during the wiping operation. A control unit that performs a pre-wiping operation to move the nozzle surface relative to the nozzle surface at a speed faster than the relative movement.
A liquid injection device comprising. The claim is characterized in that, after the pre-wiping operation, the control unit performs the wiping operation by moving the strip-shaped member relative to the nozzle surface in a direction opposite to the relative movement during the pre-wiping operation. The liquid injection device according to 1. When the operation of performing the pre-wiping operation before the wiping operation is the first wiping operation,
When the amount of the liquid adhering to the nozzle surface is smaller than that in the case of performing the first wiping operation, the control unit performs the second wiping operation of performing the wiping operation without performing the pre-wiping operation. The liquid injection device according to claim 1 or 2. The wiping mechanism can perform a winding operation of winding the strip-shaped member so that an unused portion of the strip-shaped member can come into contact with the nozzle surface.
When the operation of performing the pre-wiping operation before the wiping operation is the first wiping operation,
When the amount of the liquid adhering to the nozzle surface is larger than that in the case of performing the first wiping operation, the control unit performs the pre-wiping operation, performs the winding operation, and then performs the wiping operation. 3. The liquid injection device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a wiping operation is performed. A liquid injection unit that can inject liquid from a nozzle placed on the nozzle surface,
A wiping mechanism capable of performing a wiping operation of wiping the nozzle surface by moving the strip-shaped member capable of absorbing the liquid ejected by the liquid injection unit relative to the nozzle surface in a state of being in contact with the nozzle surface. When,
It is a maintenance method of a liquid injection device equipped with
Prior to the wiping operation of wiping the nozzle surface with the strip-shaped member, the strip-shaped member is in a state of being non-contact with the nozzle surface and in contact with the liquid adhering to the nozzle surface, and is relative to the wiping operation. A maintenance method for a liquid injection device, characterized in that a pre-wiping operation for relative movement with respect to the nozzle surface is performed at a speed faster than the movement. The liquid according to claim 5, wherein after the pre-wiping operation, the strip-shaped member is moved relative to the nozzle surface in a direction opposite to the relative movement during the pre-wiping operation to perform the wiping operation. How to maintain the injection device. When the operation of performing the pre-wiping operation before the wiping operation is the first wiping operation,
The claim is characterized in that when the amount of the liquid adhering to the nozzle surface is smaller than that in the case where the first wiping operation is performed, the second wiping operation in which the wiping operation is performed without performing the pre-wiping operation is performed. 5 or the maintenance method for the liquid injection device according to claim 6. The wiping mechanism can perform a winding operation of winding the strip-shaped member so that an unused portion of the strip-shaped member can come into contact with the nozzle surface.
When the operation of performing the pre-wiping operation before the wiping operation is the first wiping operation,
When the amount of the liquid adhering to the nozzle surface is larger than that in the case of performing the first wiping operation, the pre-wiping operation is performed to make the unused portion of the strip-shaped member contactable with the nozzle surface, and then the said. The maintenance method for a liquid injection device according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein a third wiping operation for performing a wiping operation is performed.

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